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Sustainability at JCCC

The College continues to uphold the pledge we made in 2008 to the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment. 

That promise has remained active in daily recycling and composting efforts, reusing campus equipment and construction waste division that has kept 64% of materials out of landfills and amassed over $450,000 for student scholarships. 

Our faculty have adopted sustainability course curriculum in nearly every major.

Learn more about our:

Goals      Awards & Recognitions    
Reports     Statistics     Timeline

$273,090

earned from recycling revenue

795,897

lbs. of food waste composted since 2011

$8 M

saved on electricity since 2008

50%

saved on trash hauling costs between 2010-2021

2008-2022

You make JCCC a sustainable campus—thank you!

As we strive to balance our environmental, economic and social goals, JCCC is developing even more resilient systems that will endure into the future.

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Sustainability Goals

Our original goals include:

  • Students experience sustainability in curriculums, engage in green practices on and off campus and combat food insecurity through discussions and participation at the Open Petal Farm.
  • JCCC to become a zero-waste-to-landfill campus by 2025, a 100% renewable-energy campus by 2050, and reduce its carbon footprint, energy and water use.
  • JCCC and the Community to increase engagement sustainability initiatives, implement a sustainable transportation plan, increase community partnerships, measure and monitor social, environmental and economic sustainability metrics and performance indicators, resulting in a Gold designation from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

The College has achieved these goals by:

Sustainability Awards and Recognitions

JCCC has won dozens of national awards for its sustainability efforts.

Sustainability Reports

  • AASHE Campus Report – February 2022 AASHE Report - In June 2017, JCCC completed the requirements to be rated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
  • AASHE also named JCCC a Top Performer in the 2019 Sustainable Campus Index. JCCC boasts the No. 10 spot overall among associate college institutions and No. 6 in the United States.

Sustainability Statistics


Recycling Statistics

  • 64% materials at JCCC were kept out of the landfill, a process known as waste division.
  • $273,090 has been earned from recycling revenue since 1994.
  • JCCC saved $205,785 between 2010 and 2020 by reducing the amount of trash hauled.
  • From 2010 to 2021, waste to landfill at the College went down while recycling went up.
  • From 2010 to 2021, trash hauling costs went down by 50% and recycling revenue went up.

Visit the recycling dashboard


Composting Statistics

  • 795,897 pounds of food waste has been composted since 2011—enough to feed 398 Americans for a year!
  • 385,385 pounds of wood waste has been recycled since 2011—the equivalent to five 2,000-square-foot homes.
  • Approximately 566,760 pounds of compost has been created for use on the campus farm since 2011.

Visit the composting dashboard


Energy Statistics

  • More than $8 million has been saved since 2008 on purchased electricity lowering annual electricity usage by 37%.

Noel-Levitz Survey Data

  • JCCC student responses have indicated increasing importance in our successful sustainability work.

Read survey results - PDF